Poll: 30 percent of young adults plan to leave Long Island

A survey of Long Island residents aged 18 to 36 shows 30 percent of them plan to leave Long Island.

The poll of 750 young adults was conducted by the newly formed Suburban Millennial Institute, a organization “dedicated to raising awareness behind the exodus of young people from Long Island,” according to a statement.

The majority of those planning to leave blamed a lack of available employment, the high cost of living and a frustration over the region’s lack of exciting lifestyle.

“This poll clearly indicates that the brain drain issue is real, and it’s not going away,” Jeff Guillot, founder of the institute, said in the statement. “We need to find public policy solutions to attract jobs and make Long Island affordable before it’s too late. Long Island needs families to establish roots here, and avoid any further stagnation in population growth.”

According to the Long Island Index, Long Island lost 15 percent of its 20 to 34 year olds during the last census period compared to a 5 percent increase nationwide.